After school assault leads to probation for Corner Brook teen

A Corner Brook teenager has learned the hard way that he cannot beat somebody up and threaten them, even if they say things about him.

The lessons continued in provincial court in Corner Brook on Wednesday, when the 14-year-old was placed on a year’s probation with strict conditions protecting the 13-year-old victim.

Legal-aid lawyer Peter Chaffey assisted the young man in entering a guilty plea to the assault that took place Jan. 15 in Massey Drive. The lawyer said his client was accepting full responsibility, and the teen now realizes he cannot react to such situations with violence. There have been no issues since the assault earlier this year, said Chaffey.

According to Crown attorney John Noseworthy, the 14-year-old boarded a bus to Massey Drive that day. He does not live in that area, but the youth says he was going to visit a friend. He first grabbed the 13-year-old by the coat with two hands and slammed him against the bus. He told him, “dont talk shit behind my back.”

After exiting the bus, he again went after the victim. He grabbed his backpack, pulled him down, and began kicking him. He also repeatedly punched him in the back of the head and neck. The victim did not fight back, and suffered some bruising as a result of the attack.

His departing words to the victim were that it would teach him not to talk about him and, if he told his parents, the next time would be 10 times worse.

The youth had no prior record, but Noseworthy highlighted the threatening nature of the incident as aggravating. He asked for a 12-18 month period of probation, with the statutory conditions imposed.

He requested no contact with the victim, other than unavoidable contact through attending the same school.

Chaffey agreed with that range of sentencing. He said counselling should be left to the discretion of the court or a youth probation worker.

Judge Wayne Gorman imposed a sentence of one year probation, but he went beyond the standard conditions. The 14-year-old is not permitted in Massey Drive without being accompanied by an adult and he is not allowed to join any group or organization that the victim is involved in.

The judge said it was a very serious incident, that a student should be able to go to school without such things happening. He also said the threat made was a serious one.

Gorman asked the youth to explain why it happened. The young man said the other teen had been calling him names and he did not take that well. He told the judge he lost his temper.

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